Thomas Perez has climbed America 's `` ladder of opportunity '' and now can help others do the same , President Barack Obama said on Monday in nominating the assistant U.S. attorney general as labor secretary .

The son of Dominican immigrants who worked different jobs such as collecting garbage to help pay for college , Perez has dedicated himself to fulfilling the promise of equal opportunity for all , Obama told a White House ceremony to introduce Perez , 51 .

CNN 's Jessica Yellin reported earlier this month that Obama would name Perez to the Cabinet position .

If confirmed by the Senate , the lone Hispanic Cabinet selection of Obama 's second term so far would succeed Hilda Solis , who resigned in January .

In brief remarks , Perez thanked Obama in both English and Spanish for what he called the honor of the opportunity .

He pledged to work with `` our partners '' in organized labor , the business community , grassroots organizations and Congress , adding that he looked forward to meeting with senators from both parties to discuss the way forward .

`` True progress is possible if you keep and open mind , listen to all sides and focus on results , '' Perez said .

Obama urged that Perez be confirmed `` as quickly as possible . ''

Perez 's nomination comes as the economy continues a sluggish recovery from recession , with unemployment hovering near 8 % .

The Labor Department , among other things , oversees analysis and reporting of unemployment statistics as well as occupational safety and other wage and employment issues .

While some indicators show improvement , economists warn some fragility remains and political leaders are divided on policy prescriptions for stronger growth .

Obama and Democrats call for a combination of stimulus spending , budget cuts and reforms to the tax system and entitlement programs to reduce chronic federal deficits and debt while maintaining government support for education , research and other areas they consider vital to economic development .

Republicans seeking to shrink government say that reducing its cost is the fastest and best way to prompt growth by reducing regulations and lowering taxes . They call for spending cuts and entitlement reforms , as well as changes to the tax system that would reduce rates without increasing revenue .

In nominating Perez , Obama called on him to continue efforts by Solis and her team on helping returning war veterans get jobs , improving worker safety in coal mines and other steps to strengthen workers ' rights .

`` Like so many Americans , Tom knows what it is like to climb the ladder of opportunity , '' Obama said , adding that Perez made protecting the promise of equal opportunity for all `` a cause of his life . ''

The Labor Department would likely play a role in new employment programs under any comprehensive immigration reform .

Perez 's nomination pleased unions and workers ' rights groups , but rankled Senate conservatives due in part to his record at the Justice Department .

`` This is an unfortunate and needlessly divisive nomination . The top priority of the secretary of labor should be to create jobs and higher wages for American workers . But Mr. Perez has aggressively sought ways to allow the hiring of more illegal workers , '' said Sen. Jeff Sessions , an Alabama Republican and a senior member of the Judiciary Committee . `` Mr. Perez has also had a controversial tenure at the Department of Justice where he has demonstrated a fundamentally political approach to the law . ''

Perez , who has overseen the agency 's civil rights division , has been active in several high-profile cases in recent years .

In 2010 , he launched a probe into the law enforcement tactics of Maricopa County , Arizona , Sheriff Joe Arpaio after the lawman 's hard line anti-immigration policies led to accusations of civil rights violations .

The Justice Department determined that Arpaio had engaged in `` pattern or practice of wide-ranging discrimination against Latinos and retaliatory actions against individuals who criticized '' his department 's activities .

Arpaio condemned the investigation as politically motivated and a `` witch hunt '' provoked by the Obama administration 's disfavor of the state 's controversial immigration law .

Perez also became involved in a controversial 2008 voting rights case after it drew attention from Republican legislators and became the target of a Justice Department inspector general 's report .

The watchdog concluded that that DOJ 's voting rights section lacked professionalism and pointed out pervasive warring between employees who disagreed politically .

The case stemmed from a complaint against members of the New Black Panther Party who stood outside a polling station in Philadelphia on Election Day dressed in boots and berets and carrying a nightstick .

Civil charges for attempted voter intimidation were sought by the Bush administration , but later dropped against three of four defendants after Obama took office . Republicans accused the DOJ 's political leadership of interfering in the decision .

Though Perez had not yet been confirmed to oversee the civil rights division when the decision was made , he said in testimony to Inspector General Michael Horowitz in May 2010 that politics played no part in the decision .

Horowitz was not satisfied with Perez 's account of the situation , saying in his report that Perez should have tried to get more information before testifying .

Perez was not accused of any wrongdoing , but he has been criticized for not doing enough to improve what the inspector general described as a dysfunctional department .

Before rising to the Justice Department position , Perez led Maryland 's Department of Labor , Licensing and Regulation . That office is charged with `` safeguarding workers , protecting consumers , providing a safety net and cultivating a thriving workforce , '' according to its website .

He also spent 12 years as an attorney in the Justice Department 's civil rights division , rising to become deputy assistant attorney general in the 1990s .

Perez also worked for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy , a Massachusetts Democrat , and spent the final two years of the Clinton administration as head of the Health and Human Services Department 's civil rights office .

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Perez thanks President Obama in both English and Spanish

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Obama called on the Senate to quickly confirm Perez

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Perez is the first Hispanic nominated to Cabinet during Obama 's second term

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Conservative senator calls nomination `` unfortunate and needlessly divisive ''